E.—2

8

cannot secure high passes. The workshop built by the master and his pupils is a creditable construction. It is well furnished with tools, obtained in various ways. The collection of articles made includes a wheelbarrow, a serviceable meat-safe, dumb-bells, Indian clubs; and numerous bridles, as well as other kinds of leather-work. Generally, the manual work seems to be very meritorious. Kopua (examined 14th March, 1900). —Considering that there had been a very long interval since the closing of the school for the holidays, it may be said that the children did very fairly well at examination. It should be stated, also, that many who would have got through under ordinary conditions failed to quite reach the required standard of proficiency merely because they were somewhat " rusty." It seems to me never justifiable to play fast and loose with the standards, seeing that " hard lines " are nearly always made up for, with interest, at the next examination. " Grouping " is, properly, made considerable use of here; and it really is an admirable device, but care must be taken in the case of Maoris that no work done by the group is beyond the power of any members of it. Te Kuiti (examined 20th March, 1901). —This examination would in ordinary course have taken place at the close of last year, but it was considered advisable to place the school in another group. Seeing that there has lately been a change of masters, and that before the change took place the school was becoming seriously weak, there is much reason to be gratified with its present condition, which is to a large extent an apology for the old teacher and decidedly creditable to the new ; it shows that the former had done solid work for the school, and that the latter has stopped the school's tendency to become weaker. One additional remark will suffice : the schoolroom is really beautiful; no other term will describe it. Te Waotu (examined 20th March, 1900). —A severe and fatal epidemic sickness that visited Te Waotu, and remained in the district for nearly half a year, made all the efforts of the teachers to secure good results nearly futile. Still many traces of honest work were discernible.—The report sent in ended with the expression of a wish that the teachers might have better luck next year. Unhappily this wish was not to be realised ; on the 18th November Mrs. Barnett died, after a short illness. She was an enthusiastic Maori-school teacher; she took great interest in the general welfare of the Maoris, and spoke their language well. Mrs. Barnett was the eldest daughter of Mr. C. Haszard of Tarawera, and went through all the terrors of the night on which her father and other members of her family were killed by the eruption. As a teacher she was her father's pupil, and represented all that was best in the older school of Maori teachers. The death of Mrs. Barnett is widely regretted. Ranana (examined 18th July, 1900). —English appears to be on the whole the weakest subject, but it is not weak enough to be called unsatisfactory. There is, however, considerable need for conversational work, which is undoubtedly the most powerful means of teaching a language. The Committee have continued to show real and earnest interest in their school. They specially request that their teachers shall not be removed. The school is very presentable indeed, and should rank high as a civilising agency. Results are not very even, but still decidedly good. The lower school is .stronger than the upper. Tuhoe Districts. Aiuangararanui (examined 21st July, 1900). —There appears to be a fairly good school tone; the interest of the people in the school is really greater than the unsatisfactory attendance would indicate. The children here are, many of them, shy. This should as far as possible be counteracted by teaching them to speak clearly and audibly. If children are allowed to speak to their teachers in low and indistinct tones they will speak still more inaudibly and indistinctly to a stranger. The results must be regarded as quite satisfactory in view of the disheartening irregularity of attendance. The pupils that attend with reasonable regularity have nearly all done well, as have some of the others. Te Houhi (examined 24th July, 1900). —The order is good ; there is very little talking; class changes are made in an orderly fashion. Abundant and vigorous practice in oral English is needed here. The assistant is a very careful teacher, and she does her work intelligently, but she still needs to recognise the fact that it is far better to prevent mistakes than to correct them ; she should be content to cover less ground, but should insure that every lesson is fully mastered by her scholars. Unlike most Maori schools, Te Houhi has a preponderance of girls, and this is a hopeful sign. Te Whaiti (examined 23rd July, 1900). —A beginning has been made with the formation of a school tone ; the children are acquiring a liking for their school, and they are evidently fond of their teacher; they work honestly also. The interest of the people in the school is growing too. If this process should continue and local jealousies were to subside, the school would probably become a very useful one. The new teachers have made an excellent beginning, and it will be surprising if they do not prove to be valuable members of the staff. Wai-o-tapu (examined 20th July, 1900). —A visitor's first impression is favourable. The school walls have pictorial illustrations prepared by the teacher ; also, there is already a very good garden, and a very large amount of work has been done in planting and improving the grounds; further, the school tone is manifestly good. The school has been open just eleven months. It has done and is doing excellent work. The master has succeeded in gaining the thorough respect of the people, and if, as there is good reason to expect, the attendance can be maintained, this should be one of the best schools under the Department. Ngarimu, a committee-man, has erected a horizontal bar. This is a singularly encouraging sign of interest in the school. Te Teko (examined 27th July, 1900). —The discipline is not yet quite up to the mark; the children are often late, and there is some want of independence in working. With reference to the organization, too, it may be mentioned that long stretches of silent work for little children should be°carefully avoided. In spite of much discouragement from irregular attendance, the teachers